Kelly W.K. The History of Russia: from the Earliest Period to the Present Time. Volume 2
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A.D.
1807]
TREATY OP TILSIT.
235
sians
;
and
the czar should have had
very
weighty
reasons to
offer
for
putting
a
stop
to
it."
The
English
government,
alleging
that in the secret
articles
of
the
treaty
of
Tilsit,
of which
they
had
possessed
themselves,
they
had
proof
of
Napoleon's
design
to
seize
the
Danish
fleet,
fitted
out
an
expedition
against
Denmark with
extraordinary
celerity.
Copenhagen
was
bombarded for
three
days,
and
a
great
part
of
the
city
destroyed.
The Danes then
capitulated
(September
7),
and
surrendered their fleet
to the
English,
with all
the
naval stores
in their arsenals and
dockyards.
The
conduct of our
government
in this matter was
censured at
the time with
great
severity
;
nor can it
be
distinctly
justi-
fied,
since
it is
the
very
nature of
all
preventive
war
to de-
stroy
the
very
arguments
and evidences of
its
necessity.
Nevertheless,
if on the one
hand
we
consider
what was re-
quisite
for
carrying
into execution the
system
of
European
blockade
against
our
commerce which
Napoleon
had
devised,
and
if,
on the other
hand,
we examine into
his conduct
a
short
time after
against
Spain
and
Portugal,
it is
impossible
not to excuse
England.*
The
expedition
against
Copenhagen
was soon
followed
by
a declaration
of
war
on the
part
of Russia
against England.
In the
manifesto
published
on
this occasion
(September
16),
Alexander
complained
bitterly
of
the bad
faith of
England,
as
manifested
especially
in the
little aid she
had afforded to
the
allies
who had taken
up
arms in a cause
in which she was
more
directly
interested
than
any
other
power,
and
in the
robber-like act of
aggression
she
had committed
against
Den-
mark.
He
annulled
all
former
conventions
between
Russia
and
England, especially
that of
1S01
;
proclaimed
anew the
principle
of
the
armed
neutrality;
and
declared
that there
should
be
no
communication
between the
two
powers
until
Denmark
had received
just
compensation,
and
peace
was
concluded
between
France and
England.
In
consequence
of
this
declaration,
an
embargo
was
laid
on
all
the
English
vessels in
Russian
ports,
and
Prussia was
compelled
to
follow
this
example.
It
was not
1
ill the
Gth of
October
that a formal demand
was
made
upon
Sweden
to
close
the
ports
of
the Baltic
against
English ships
and
trade.
The
king
persevered
in
his
alliance
*
Koch,
"
Revolutions
of
Europe."
236
UISTOBY OF KTTSSIA.
»
[CH.
LVII.
with
England
;
and
finally,
because the
emperor
of
Russia had
conferred
upon Napoleon
the
order
of St.
Andrew,
he sent
back
his
insignia
;
whereupon
Alexander not
only
returned
his Swedish
order,
but
quietly
adopted
measures to
take
possession
of
Finland,
whilst the
Danes were
preparing,
in
concert with the
French,
to invade the western
provinces
of
Sweden.
Although
in the months of November and
Decem-
ber,
Gustavus
repeatedly
declined the
proposals
of
the
Rus-
sians for a union
against England, everything
went on
in
Sweden
as in
times of the
most
profound peace
;
and
even
when
the Russian
forces were collected
on the
very
frontiers
of
Finland,
the
unfortunate
king adopted
no measures of
defence whatever. On the
21st
of
January
he
was,
for the last
time,
called
upon
to declare
war
against England
;
he
replied
by
concluding
a new
alliance
with her on
the
8th of
February.
On
the
21st,
the Russians invaded
Finland,
without
any
specific
declaration of
war,
and on the 14th of
March, 1808,
Denmark
declared war
against
Sweden.
The whole of Fin-
land
as far as
Vasa,
the island
of
Aland,
and
even the islands
of
Gothland, Abo,
Sveaborg,
and
all
the
fortresses,
were
taken
possession
of
by
the Russians even before
the Swedish
array
and
fleet were
prepared.
It
was
not till the
end
of
April
and
beginning
of
May
that a Swedish
army
under
Klingspor
and
Adlercreuz,
supported by
[a
Swedish
fleet,
appeared
in the
field,
and
fought
with various
success.
We have
lately
seen Nicholas take
military possession
of
the
Danubian
provinces
as a "material
guarantee,"
whilst
affecting
not to be
at war with
Turkey.
This was in exact
conformity
with
Russian
precedents.
Finland,
as we have
said,
was
occupied
without a declaration of war
;
but mani-
festoes
were
issued
by
general
Buxhovden,
one of
which
contained the
following
passage
:
"
Good
neighbours,
it is
with
the
greatest regret
that
my
most
gracious
master,
the
emperor
of all the
Russias,
sees himself forced
to send
into
your
country
the
troops
under
my
orders.
But
his
majesty
the
king
of
Sweden,
whilst
withdi'awing
more
and
more from
the
happy
alliance of
the two
greatest empires
in
the
world,
draws closer
his
connexions with
the
common
enemy,
whose
oppressive system
and
unparalleled
conduct
towards the
most intimate allies
of
Russia and of Sweden
herself,
cannot
A.D.
1807]
CONQUEST
OF FINLAND.
237
be
coolly
endured
by
bis
imperial majesty.
Tbese
motives,
as well
as
tbe
regard
which
bis
imperial
majesty
owes to tbe
safety
of
bis own
states,
oblige
bim to
place your
country
under
Ms
protection,
and to
take
possession
of it in
order
to
procure by
tbese
means a
sufficient
guarantee
in
case bis
Swedish
majesty
sbould
persevere
in the
resolution not to
accept
tbe
equitable
conditions of
peace
that have been
pro-
posed
to
bim,
&c."
When the llussians took
possession
of
Finland,
the
king
gave
them a
pretence
for
incorporating
it
with their
empire,
which, however,
they
would no doubt
have done in
any
case.
He
caused
Alopaeus,
the
Russian
ambassador,
to be
arrested.
This
took
place
on
the
3rd of
March,
and on the 25th
a de-
claration was
published
on the
part
of the
emperor
of
Russia,
announcing
to all the
powers
that
"
from that
moment he
regards
the
part
of Finland
hitherto
reputed
Swedish,
aud
which
his
troops
had
only
been able
to
occupy
after
divers
battles,
as
a
province
conquered by
bis
arms,
and that
be
unites it for
ever to
his
empire."
It
was
easy
to
anticipate
that the
superior
force of
the
Russians
must in
the
end
prevail
;
although
the Russian
garrison
in
Gothland,
and that in the
island
of
Aland,
were
at first
taken
prisoners,
the
island
occupied,
and
the Russians
beaten
by
land at
Yasa on the
2Gth of
July,
and
by
sea at
Roggerwick
on the 26th
of
August.
The
Swedes lost all the
advantages
they
had thus
gained
by
the
bloody
battle
fought
at
Ormais on the
14th of
September,
and
by
tbe defeat
at
Lokalar,
on the 18th.
The Russian
generals,
probably
in
order
to
give
courage
to
the
malcontents,
who
were
very
numerous
in
Sweden,
issued orders not
to
receive
any
letters
or
any
flags
of
truce which were sent in
the
king's
name,
and
carried on
negotiations
with the
Swedish
generals
alone,
for
a
suspension
of
arms,
which
was
concluded
for an
inde-
finite
time,
on t
he
20th
of
September,
but
only
continued
till
the
27th
of
October,
when the
Russians resumed
hostili-
ties,
and the
Swedes
were
driven to
the
north,
across
the
Kemistrom.
On
the
20th
of
November a
new
truce
was
agreed
upon
between
tin-
Swedish
general
Adlercreuz and
the Russian
general Kamenskoi,
with
the reserve of
fourteen
days'
notice before renewal
of
operations.
By
the conditions
238
HISTORY
OF
RUSSIA.
[CH.
LYII.
of
this
agreement,
the Swedes
were
to evacuate
the
whole of
Uleahorg,
arid
to
retire
completely
behind the
Kemistrom,
with
all
their
artillery, arms,
and stores.
On
the 13th
of March
in
the
following year
a revolution
was effected
in
Sweden,
by
which
Gustavus
was
deposed
;
his
uncle,
the duke
of
Sudermania,
became
regent,
and was
afterwards
proclaimed
king
(June
5,
1809)
under
the title
of Charles
XIII.
At
Stockholm
the
people
flattered
them-
selves
that
the dethronement
of
Grustavus would
speedily
bring
peace
to
Sweden
;
but
it was
not so.
Alexander
refused
to treat
with a
government
so
insecure
as a
regency,
and
hostilities continued.
General
Knorring,
who
had
passed
the Gulf
of Bothnia on
the ice
with
25,000
Russians,
took
possession
of
the Aland
islands,
and
granted
the Swedes a
cessation
of
hostilities,
to
allow
them time to make
overtures
of
peace.
Apprised
of
this
arrangement, Barclay
de
Tolly,
who had crossed
the
gulf
with
another
body
of
Russians
towards
Yasa,
and
taken
possession
of
Umea,
evacuated
West
Bothnia,
and returned
to Finland.
A third
Russian
army,
under
Shuvalof,
penetrated
into
West
Bothnia
by
the
Torneo
route,
and
compelled
the
Swedish
army
of
the north
under
Gripenberg
to
lay
down
their
arms at
Seiwis
(March
25).
This
sanguinary
affair occurred
entirely
through ignorance
;
because
in
that
country,
lying
under the 66th
degree
of
north
latitude,
they
were
not aware
of the armistice
granted
by
Knorring.
On the
expiry
of the
truce,
hostilities
began
again
in
May,
and the Russians
took
possession
of
the
part
of
West
Bothnia
lying
north of
Umea.
The
peace
between
Russia
and Sweden
was
signed
at
Predericksham
on
the 17th
of
September.
The
latter
power
adhered
to
the continental
system,
reserving
to herself
the
importation
of
salt and
such colonial
produce
as
she
could
not
do without.
She
surrendered
Finland,
with
the
whole
of
East
Bothnia,
and
a
part
of
West
Bothnia
lying
eastward
of
the river
Torneo.
The cession
of these
provinces,
which
formed
the
granary
of
Sweden,
and
contained
a
population
of
900,000
souls,
was
an
irreparable
loss
to
that
kingdom,
which
had
only
2,344,000
inhabitants left.
In
the
following
year
Bernadot'te,
prince
of
Ponte
Corvo,
was
elected
crown-
prince
of
Sweden,
and eventual
successor
to
the
throne,
under
the
name
of Charles John.
A.D.
1809]
CONQUEST
OF
FINLAND.
239
The
loss
of
Finland
had
heen
but
slightly
retarded
by
some
advantages
gained
over
the Kussian fleet
by
the com-
bined
squadrons
of
England
and
Sweden.
The
Kussian
vessels
remained
blockaded
on
the coast
of
Esthonia,
but
in
an
un-
assailable
position,
from which
they
were at last delivered
by
the
weather
and
the
exigencies
of
navigation
in those
dangerous
seas.
Another
Eussian
fleet under admiral
Siniavin,
which
sailed
to
Portugal
to
co-operate
with the
Erench
against
the
English,
was
obliged
to
surrender to
admiral
Cotton
after
the
convention
of
Cintra.
It was
afterwards
restored
to
Russia.
The
war declared
by
that
power
against
England
in
1807,
was little
more
than
nominal,
and
was
marked
by
no
events
of
importance.
CHAPTER
LVIII.
WAR
-WITH PERSIA
—
WITH
TURKEY
—
FRAUDULENT
PROCEED-
INGS
WITH
RESPECT
TO
THE
DANUBIAN
PROVINCES.
The
annexation
of
Georgia
to
Russia,
effected in the be-
ginning
of
Alexander's
reign,
drew
him
into a war
with
Persia,
which
did
not
terminate
until
1813.
The
principal
events
of
that
war
were
the
defeat
of
the Persians
at Etch-
miazin
by prince
Zitzianof
(June
20,
1804)
:
the
conquest
of the
province
of
Shirvan
by
the same
commander
(January,
1808)
;
the
taking
of Derbent
by
the
Russians
(July
3)
;
and
the
defeat
of
the Persians
by
Paulucci,
at Alkolwalaki
(September
1,
1810).
Before
speaking
of
the
war
between
Russia
and
the
Porte,
it
will
be
well to
take
a brief
retrospect
of
their
mutual
rela-
tions.
Turkey
was much
earlier
threatened
with
partition
than
Poland
;
it
was,
however,
more
important
to the
Eng-
lish
to
maintain
the
independence
of
the
Turkish
empire
than
that
of
the
republic
of
Poland,
and
it
was,
besides,
easier
to assist
the
Turks
than
the
Poles.
Joseph
II. and
Catha-
rine
II. had
agreed,
at
Kherson,
on the
fall
of the
Turkish
empire
;
the
Russians
had
penetrated
deep
into
Bulgaria
;
and the
Austrians,
under
Leopold
II.,
had at
length
reduced
the
fortresses
on
the
Save
and the
Drave,
when
Prussia,
240
IIISTOKY
OF RUSSIA.
[CH.
LVIII.
roused
by
England
and
supported
with
money,
began
to
make
warlike
preparations
on
the
frontiers of
Silesia. The
con-
vention
of Reichenbach was concluded
in
August,
1791,
and
in
consequence,
Austria was
obliged,
by
the
peace
of
Sistowa,
to
renounce all
its
conquests.
Russia
persevered
in
carrying
on
the war
;
for
in the
autumn of
1790,
Potemkin had
taken
Ismail on
the Danube
;
in
May,
Repnin,
without the aid
of
Potemkin,
completely
routed the Turks at
Babadagh,
and
in
July
their
numerous
imperial
army
was so
utterly
dispersed,
that
the
terms
of
peace
might
be dictated to
them.
From
a
regard
to
the then
condition of
affairs in
Poland,
and
to the
representations
of
those
powers
which
Russia was
anxious
to
instigate
to a war with
Prance,
Catharine
II. con-
tented herself
with
opening
an
easy way
for herself to Mol-
davia and
Vallachia,
by
means of the
peace
concluded at
Tassy
in
January,
1792. Russia did not
require any
cession
of
the
provinces
on the
Danube
; but,
by
the
peace
of
Tassy,
the
sultan was
obliged
to cede all
the
country
between
the
Dniestr and the
Bug,
together
with the fortress of Otchakof.
Prom that
period
the
Russians were
very
much
occupied
by
Polish
affairs,
and
under Paul I. there was even an
alliance
concluded
between Russia and
the
Porte
against
the
French,
who
at that time
were
in
occupation
of
Egypt.
When
the
English
joined
this
alliance,
they
caused
an
article to be in-
serted in the
treaty
that the
territory
of the Turks
was
in
no
respect
to
be diminished.
About 1805 the
condition
of the Ottoman
empire, badly
organised
and worse
governed,
was
such,
that
everything
presaged
its
approaching
dissolution.
Every
where
the
sultan's
authority
was
disregarded.
Paswau
Oglu, pasha
of
Widdin,
was in
open
revolt.
Ali
Pasha of
Janina was obedient
only
when it
suited his convenience.
Djezzar,
the
pasha
of
Syria,
without
declaring
himself an
enemy
to
the
Porte,
enjoyed
an
absolute
independence.
The
sect
of the
Wahabis
was
in
possession
of
Arabia.
After the
departure
of the
English
from
Egypt,
first
the
beys,
and afterwards
Mohammed
Ali,
reigned
over that
country,
and
only paid
their
yearly
tribute
to the
sultan
when
they
pleased.
In
Servia,
Czei'ni
George
was
making
himself
independent prince
of
the
Slavonians
of
the Danube.
Ypsilanti
and
Morusi,
both
Greeks,
by
the
permission,
or
rather
by
the
command,
of
Russia,
were
ap-
A.D.
1S05]
RELATIONS
WITH TURKEY.
241
pointed
hospodars
of Moldavia
and
Vallachia,
for seven
years
at
least,
and were therefore
rather
subjects
of the
Russians
than
of
the
Turks.
Selim
III.,
who had
reigned
since
1789,
convinced
that
the Porte
could
never
re-establish
its autho-
rity
except
by
better
organising
the
army,
had
endeavoured
to model
it on
the
European
system.
This
attempt
after-
wards cost
him his throne.
The
English
and Russian
ambassadors
ruled either
alter-
nately
or
together
in
Constantinople.
But for
their
inter-
ference
the old
friendship
between
France and
the
Porte
would
most
likely
have been
restored in
July,
1802. At
the
time of
the
foundation
of the
empire
in
Prance,
the
sultan
hesitated
long
whether
he
would
lean
upon
the
English
and
Russian,
or
upon
the Prench
influence,
for he
felt
a
great
want
of
confidence
in
Napoleon,
since
he
had
been
informed
bv
the
English
of
the
language
which
fell from
the
emperor
in
conversation
with
lord
Whitworth.
He
was
reported
to
have taken
the
partition
of
Turkey
for
granted
—
as a
thing
unavoidable
;
and
that on such
partition
the
province
of
Egypt
ought necessarily
to fall
to the share of
Prance.
This
conversation
was
printed,
in
1803,
among
the
documents
tonnected
with
the renewal
of the war between
England
and
c
a*
Prance,
and
was communicated
to
the sultan. The
French,
indeed,
in their official
journals,
contradicted the
allegation
;
lmt
who ever
put
any
faith in their official
journals
?
On
tli
is
ground,
we
must
explain
the fact
that
the
Turks
fa-
voured
the Russians
in the war
which
they
were
carrying
on
with
the
Persians
;
suffered
them to sail
up
the
Phasis,
and
even
to
build a
fort at
its
mouth.
They
were
even
desirous
of
renewing
the
friendly
alliance formed with
Russia
in
I7i)8,
which
renewal,
indeed,
the
emperor
of
Russia
was
afterwards
unwilling
to
confirm,
because
the
English
had
taken
care to have the
inviolability
of the
Turkish
empire
in-
corporated
in the
treaty
of
179S.
Had,
therefore,
the
em-
peror
of
Russia
rati
tied
the
alliance,
he
would
have
guaran-
teed
to
the
Turks the actual
condition of
their
empire
in
Europe,
which
lie did not
wish
to do.
This
excited the
suspicion
of
the Turk-,
who
inclined
more
and
more towards
the
French,
and
did
not
Buffer
themselves
to
be
frightened
by
the threats
of
the
English
and
Russians.
Immediately
ai'ter the
peace
of
Prcsburg,
the
Turks,
who had
previously
VOL. II.
it
242
HISTORY
OF RUSSIA.
[CH.
ITIU.
acknowledged Napoleon's
empire,
sent
a new ambassador
to
Paris.
In
return,
Napoleon
sent
engineers,
officers,
ai'tillery-
men, workmen,
and
materials,
in order to
enable
tbe
sultan
to
improve
his
army,
artillery,
and tbe
bulwarks of
bis em-
pire
;
whilst,
on
the other
band,
the
Russian
ambassador,
Italinski,
and the
English
ambassador, Arbuthnot/threatened
war if the
alliance
Avith the French
was not
relinquished
;
and
Italinski' s
threats fell
with a double
weight,
because
a
corps
of
Russians were
ready
for action on
the
Bug.
About
the time at which
Napoleon adopted
the
resolution
of
attacking
Prussia
also,
and therefore foresaw a war with
Russia,
a Turkish
army
was assembled
to take
the
field
against
the
Russians on
the Turkish
frontiers,
and
Napoleon
clearly
saw bow
advantageous
to
him a war between
the
Rus-
sians and
the Turks would be.
He
therefore
sent
general
Sebastiani
as
ambassador
extraordinary
to
Constantinople.
Sebastiani
arrived there
in
August,
1806
;
and soon
gained
so
great
influence
that for some
time the divan was
entireby
under his direction.
At his
instance,
it refused to renew
tbe
treaty
of
alliance with
England,
which was on
the
point
of
expiring
;
and
it
dismissed
Tpsilanti
and
Morusi,
as crea-
tures of
Russia,
from their offices.
In
consequence
of
the
threatening language
held
by
Mr.
Arbuthnot,
the
English
ambassador,
they
were reinstated
;
but when this took
place
hostilities
had
already begun.
The
emperor
Alexander had
ordered
general
Michelson to enter
Moldavia and Vallachia.
Tbe Porte
tben declared
war
against
Russia
(Dec. 30)
;
but
deviating
for
the first time
from a
barbarous
custom,
it
allowed
M.
Italinski,
the Russian
minister,
to
depart
un-
molested.
A few
days
afterwards,
Mr.
Arbuthnot
quitted
Constanti-
nople,
after
having repeatedly
demanded
the
renewal
of
the
alliance,
and
the
expulsion
of M. Sebastiani. On
the 19th
February,
1807,
an
English
fleet,
commanded
by
vice-admiral
Duckworth,
forced
the
passage
of
tbe
Dardanelles,
and
ap-
peared
before
Constantinople.
Duckworth
demanded
of
the
divan
that the forts of tbe
Dardanelles
and the
Turkish
fleet
should
be surrendered to
him
;
that the Porte
should
cede
Moldavia
and
Vallachia
to
Russia,
and
break off
alliance
with
Napoleon.
But
instead
of
profiting
by
the
sudden
panic
which
his
appearance
had
excited,
be allowed
the
Turks
A.D.
1S07]
WAR
WITH
TUSKET. 213
time
to
put
themselves
in a
posture
of
defence.
Encouraged
and
instructed
by
Sebastiani,
they
made their
preparations
with
such
energy
and
success,
that in the course of
eight
days
the
English
vice-admiral
found that he could not do
better
than
weigh
anchor
and
repass
the Dardanelles.
Shortly
afterwards
admiral
Siniavin
appeared
in
the
Archi-
pelago,
and
incited
the Greek islanders
to throw off
the
Turkish
yoke
;
whilst Duckworth sailed
to
Egypt upon
a
fruitless
expedition
in favour
of
the Mameluke
beys against
Mohammed
Ali.
Siniavin
defeated the Turkish
fleet
on
the
4th of
April,
captured
several
ships,
and took
possession
of
some islands.
The bad condition
of his
ships,
however,
compelled
him to
give
up
the
blockade
of the
Dardanelles,
and to
retire,
in order
to
refit,
after
having
another time
defeated
the
Turkish -fleet.
Meanwhfle,
Selim had
been
de-
posed.
His
successor,
Mustapha
IV.,
declaimed
that
he
would
continue
to
prosecute
the
war
with
England
and Russia.
But
Siniavin,
before he retired to
refit,
met
the
Turkish
fleet
oft'
Lemnos,
on
the 1st
of
July
:
the Turks were
beaten,
lost
several
ships,
and
a
great
many
men.
The
campaign
of the
Russians
on
the
Danube,
in
1807,
was
not
productive
of
any
decisive
result,
as
general
Michel-
son received orders
to detach the third
army corps
to
oppose
the Erench
in Poland. Czerni
George,
the
leader
of the re-
volted
Servians,
took
Belgrade,
Sabacz,
and
Nissa,
penetrated
into
Bulgaria,
where
he
was reinforced
by
some Russian
troops,
and
gained
divers
signal advantages.
The war was
conducted
with
more success on the
frontiers
of the two em-
pires
in
Asia. The
seraskier
of
Erzeroum
was
entirely
de-
feated
by general
Gudovitch
(June
18);
and that
victory
was
the more
important,
as
it
prevented
the Persians
from
making
a
bold
diversion in favour of the Turks.
The
emperor
Alexander had
agreed
by
the
public
articles
of the
treaty
of Tilsit
(July,
1807)
to
evacuate Moldavia
and Yallachia
;
but
this was
only
a collusion between the
two
contracting
parties.
The
Russians
not
only
aimed
al
the
permanent
possession
of
the two
provinces,
but
regarded
all
the
Slavonians
of
the
Danube
as
allies
or
subjects
of the
czar.
"When
the
Turks,
on the
11th
of
July,
concluded
a
peace
with
Czerni
George,
whereby
Serria
became
in
some
measure
independent
—
and Czerni
George
afterwards
called
it 2
244 HISTORY
OF
RUSSIA.
[CH.
LYIII.
himself
prince
of
Servia
—
a
Russian
general guaranteed
the
treaty by
his
signature,
as
one of
the
parties
to
the
agree-
ment. In the
following
year
Radofinikin,
a
Russian
envoy,
repaired
to
Belgrade
to establish
the
new
principality
;
called
an
assembly
of the nobles
;
drew
up
a sketch
of a
constitution
for
Servia,
and tried to
organise
the
administration.
The
French
general,
Guilleminot,
was sent to
the
Turkish
camp
to
negotiate
a
truce
on
the
terms
ostensibly
laid
down
in
the
treaty
of Tilsit
:
namely,
that the Russians
should
evacuate
Moldavia
and
Vallachia,
but
that the
Turks
should
not
occupy
the two
provinces
until
after the
conclusion
of a
definitive
peace.
But
Gruilleminot' s
instructions
contained
a
direct command to use the
whole
weight
of
the
French
influence in
favour
of the Russians
and
against
the
Turks
;
even
one
of
Napoleon's
greatest
admirers,
although
owning
occasional
republican scruples,
admits that
their
tone
was
very equivocal.*
In
fact,
it
very
soon became
obvious
that
the
whole
mission of the
general
was
a mere
piece
of
diplo-
matic
imposture
and
treachery.
A
congress
was held
at
Slobozia,
in
the
neighbourhood
of
Giurgevo,
on the 24th
of
August,
1807,
and a
truce was
signed,
which,
it
was
said,
was
to
continue
till
the 30th of
April,
1808. The
Russians
w
r
ere to withdraw
;
the
fortresses
of
Ismail, Braila,
and
Giurgevo
to be
given
up
to the
Turks,
whose
troops, however,
were
to
evacuate
Moldavia
and Vallachia in
thirty-five
days.
Everything,
however,
which afterwards took
place
in
consul-
tation between
the
French
and
Russians,
in
reference
to
Turkey,
bore
upon
a
scheme of
partition.
The Russians at
length,
on the
7th of
August,
had
left
Cattaro
and
the other
strong
places
in
Dalmatia to
the
French
;
their
emperor,
on the
9th,
had
ceded
all
his
rights
*
The
reader
may
consult
Bignon's
diplomatic
mystifications
in
his
work. In
the text
we follow Thibaudeau.
See
"
Hist, de
France,"
&c.,
vol. vii.
ch.
lxxiii.
pp.
359, &c,
where the writer
speaks
of
Mi-
chelson,
then
no
longer
alive.
In vol. iii.
p.
220,
the
author
observes
that Guilleminot
had
gone
to
Constantinople:
"
De
la
il
retournerait
au
quartier
general
russe,
pour presider
a la
conclusion
de
l'armistice
et a
tous les
arrangements
provisoires
entre la
Porte et
la
Russie.
Il
NE
PERDRAIT
PAS DE
VUE
QUE
1,'eMPEREUR
VOULAIT EXTREMEMENT
MENAGER
LA
RUSSIE
TANT
DANS
LES CHOSES
QUE
DANS FORMES."
The
copy
of
the truce
is
to be
found
in
Martens,
and also
in
the
"
Po-
litisches
Journal,
von
1807,"
s.
1021-1026.